Unknowns of disability

Use this board for general non-cycling-related chat, or to introduce yourself to the forum.
Boyd
Posts: 509
Joined: 24 Oct 2016, 11:56pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by Boyd »

reohn2 wrote:
Boyd wrote:Personally I doubt very much that tripping over a 30mm lip on a paving stone would automatically lead to an injury. Never mind one that requires hospital treatment.......

Oh Yeah?
I'm thinking you're fit and healthy and quick on your feet,pretty much like me pre hip operation,even with an arthritic hip,which was mainly due to a healthy lifestyle and not being overweight.

Try to imagine having a disability such as impaired sight,or a lower limb disability,or Parkinsonism which can result in a shuffling walking gait or just being elderly and mildly infirm or any number of other disabilities that affect walking.Add to that a touch of oesteo porosis which can be age related and unless tested for unknown to the sufferer.
Or try this,borrow a pair of elbow crutches,now tie your legs together and go for a walk around your village..........

I suspect like me,until you've stood in a disabled persons shoes you haven't a clue what problems uneven paving poses to the disabled,or the impact a fall whether needing hospital treatment or not can affect a disabled persons life and confidence.

I have severe arthritis in one knee according to xrays done 4 years ago. Surprisingly recent xrays came up the same! Initial cause was a spinal infections. I had home help 4 times a day. I was on crutches for 2 months after 6 weeks in Nottingham spinal unit. If I can get round on crutches on the grass verge why can't people manage on pavements with the odd lip.
PS cycling was the key to me walking again. The physio suggested I come in and use the cycling machine everyday. Not practical so I bought a good quality cycle machine, put it in front of the telly and ....Fraser and everybody loves Raymond was there encouraging me every morning!!
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by reohn2 »

Boyd
You're judging everyone by your own standard,it's not a successful formula or a recipe for success

I'll mention again what I did in the OP
If it cost less to repair and level the pavement than it does to repair people who fall because of the faults,even from only a monetary perspective let alone the pain and suffering. Isn't that a better approach toward a better society?
Even if it costs more what price pain and suffering?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
Tigerbiten
Posts: 2503
Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by Tigerbiten »

reohn2 wrote:If it cost less to repair and level the pavement than it does to repair people who fall because of the faults,even from only a monetary perspective let alone the pain and suffering. Isn't that a better approach toward a better society?
Even if it costs more what price pain and suffering?

The money for repairing pavements comes out of local government funds. Most people see the bill for it and are not willing to pay it. Plus local governments don't have the funds for these types of repairs anymore.
BUT .............
The money for repairing people comes out of central government funds. Most people don't see the bill so are willing to pay it. Plus central government can always find/print the funds for these types of repairs.

Easy .......... :twisted:
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by reohn2 »

Tigerbiten wrote:
reohn2 wrote:If it cost less to repair and level the pavement than it does to repair people who fall because of the faults,even from only a monetary perspective let alone the pain and suffering. Isn't that a better approach toward a better society?
Even if it costs more what price pain and suffering?

The money for repairing pavements comes out of local government funds. Most people see the bill for it and are not willing to pay it. Plus local governments don't have the funds for these types of repairs anymore.
BUT .............
The money for repairing people comes out of central government funds. Most people don't see the bill so are willing to pay it. Plus central government can always find/print the funds for these types of repairs.

Easy .......... :twisted:

Exactly! that's the heart of the matter, ĺike so many services the country is being run piecemeal(transport being a classic example)and not holistically.
The people are the country and the infrastructure should serve them,all of them.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Boyd
Posts: 509
Joined: 24 Oct 2016, 11:56pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by Boyd »

reohn2 wrote:Boyd
You're judging everyone by your own standard,it's not a successful formula or a recipe for success

I'll mention again what I did in the OP
If it cost less to repair and level the pavement than it does to repair people who fall because of the faults,even from only a monetary perspective let alone the pain and suffering. Isn't that a better approach toward a better society?
Even if it costs more what price pain and suffering?

Why not? Should I judge them by your standards? I am not judging anyone, where have I said I am?
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by reohn2 »

Boyd wrote:
reohn2 wrote:Boyd
You're judging everyone by your own standard,it's not a successful formula or a recipe for success

I'll mention again what I did in the OP
If it cost less to repair and level the pavement than it does to repair people who fall because of the faults,even from only a monetary perspective let alone the pain and suffering. Isn't that a better approach toward a better society?
Even if it costs more what price pain and suffering?

Why not? Should I judge them by your standards? I am not judging anyone, where have I said I am?

By posting
I can't see why people can't manage with the odd lip

and

Personally I doubt very much that tripping over a 30mm lip on a paving stone would automatically lead to an injury. Never mind one that requires hospital treatment


People are all different,different ages and with a variety of disabilities as I've taken great pains to point out ,if you cannot accept that,that's your problem.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
ambodach
Posts: 1023
Joined: 15 Mar 2011, 6:45pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by ambodach »

Nobody has so far mentioned wheelchairs. I do not have one myself but my wife had to be taken everywhere by wheelchair for quite a while - pushed by me. This put a whole new approach to going anywhere and the difficulties involved are often not recognised by able bodied people. I found help available when asked for and most people were very good at assisting but there were some exceptions who tested my patience severely. Pavement parking has been mentioned and some shop signs ended up getting shoved angrily aside when I had had a bad day despite my requests for room on the pavement. No dropped kerbs was another problem. Enough rant.
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by mjr »

Cyril Haearn wrote:How many times a day does one run up a few stairs without thinking about it?

Many times, right up until I failed, ran straight into the stairs and smashed my toes up. I had great difficulty walking for a while, although I could still cycle. In this country, we seem to have a sick mix of rule-obsession (you can't install a ramp without planning permission, you can't install a dropped kerb without highways permission, you can't move a sign out of your way without its owner's permission else it's theoretically criminal damage, ...) and lawbreaking (park anywhere, even blocking the footway, and it's unlikely either police or council will act) that makes life particularly difficult for people with reduced mobility. A lot of the barriers that cycling campaigners work on removing (not just barrier barriers, but also high kerbs, cycle track parking and so on) actually benefit all abilities:
[youtube]xSGx3HSjKDo[/youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSGx3HSjKDo

Indeed, the most vociferous abuse I've ever heard directed at someone parked on a cycle track came from an older gent on a mobility scooter who simply didn't have the option of bumping down the kerb or riding across the rough verge like cyclists did. The motorist was left in no uncertainty that their parking was criminal!
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by reohn2 »

Ambodach,MJR
Yer not wrong.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Unknowns of disability

Post by reohn2 »

I've just watched the video posted by MJR.
A beautiful film which every UK politician both local and national should be forced to watch it and the one on Gronegen at least 10 times so the message sinks in that we need to cater for everyone in society and not just those in motor cars!
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Post Reply